Tag Archives: admissions

The college that once told high school seniors to stop cramming so many extracurricular activities on their resumes has taken another step toward making applications less stressful – MIT has done away with the traditional, and much fussed-over, long essay.

In an article written in the October 4th issue of the Boston Globe, Tracy Jan reports on the changes the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is making to their admissions process.

The college essay detailing the most influential person in your life or the biggest decision you have yet to make has become one of the biggest cliches and stresses for high school seniors across the country, but MIT is taking a stand against this ritual that seems to them, archaic.

According to Stuart Schmill, MIT’s dean of admissions, it is almost impossible for a possible student to be able to fully articulate in an essay dealing with just one particular topic enough information for the university to make an informed decision on whether or not an applicant is a suitable fit for their institution.

Schmill is proposing that instead of one mammoth essay being the deciding factor as to whether or not a student is allowed entry into their prestigious institution, they should answer 2-3 short answer questions, such as how one approached a significant challenge in their life thus far.

These shorter and more specific questions are designed to garner a more candid response from students, which I totally agree with. Instead of getting canned responses that seniors have been trained to answer with, applicants must pull from their past experiences that have shaped them into a good addition for MIT.

These days getting into a prestigious university has become more of a game based on connections and training than on skill and intellect. By making these small changes to the way colleges accept students admissions are beginnnig to take a step back in the right direction where future students are accepted because they truly deserve it.